Lettered
by HeavenHellanime
Summary: There was little that truly came as a surprise to him anymore. But a letter from Shanks' anchor definitely fell in the category of "surprising".
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is a series of drabbles, not meant to be anything serious. Do not expect regular updates, or even for this story to be finished at all. I was hit with a plot bunny and ran with it. Who knows, it might grow out to be something interesting.**

First Letter - Luffy

There was not a lot that could surprise him anymore, these days. No excitement. No amusement. Just an endlessly stretching blandness.

Life had ceased to become the challenge it was supposed to be. The challenge it still was to those beneath his station. To him, it was a dull repetition, day by day, with the odd annoyances thrown in.

A near-imperceptible sigh breaks the oppressive silence of the darkened room.

Yellow eyes fall to the plain piece of paper, unopened on his desk. Small, yet a stark difference against the varnished mahogany. It stands out, luring him in, a splash of innocent white in the night, a candle in the dark.

One of the candles on the desk lets a molten drop of wax hit the metallic basin set underneath it with a soundless _drip._ His eyes are drawn to the movement, before turning back to the letter again.

He'd checked for poisons, of course, anything less would be foolish when opening correspondence from an unknown. Not that this… Person… Was an unknown to him, per se.

He had seen them, all the way back in the East Blue. The weakest of the seas. Surely nothing interesting could come from that place?

 _And yet,_ a traitorous voice in the back of his mind whispers. _And yet it bred the first Pirate King._

Stoically, the man takes the letter off the desk, turning the envelope this way and that, searching the worn creases, the tacky blue postcard emblazoned with a gull, and the childish crayon scrawl on the front as if they held all the secrets to the universe.

Another pause, before with a swift movement of a dagger, a mere silver glint in the dim light, the white paper envelope is opened. Careful and slow, long, pale, callous-covered fingers pry out its contents, the crinkle of paper and soft, measured breaths the only sounds in the otherwise eerily silent study, all dark woods and red wine velvet, overflowing bookcases and a desk set in with elegant golden engravings.

If one were to open the thick purple curtains, cascading like waterfalls in front of the large, dark bronze-wrought gothic windows, there would be only grey clouds like an endless, toiling mass, covering the sunlight.

It is nighttime, and the chandelier on the ceiling has been left out. Why light it, when his eyes have no need for its glaring brightness, disrupting his rest and straining his tired vision?

The room, therefore, is lit by candles, perched on the desk and the stands in the corners. Two large, dripping candles right in front of him cast ample light for the dark-haired man to read by.

A passing thought flitters through his mind. To dangle the letter over the small flames, pinch it between his fingers as he lets it be devoured by them ever-so-slowly. He turns over the thought, observing it as he would a passer-by taking a leisure walk along a quiet boulevard.

And discards it.

The letter had, despite its unassuming appearance, caught his curiosity. And woe to the being that kept this particular man from satiating his curiosity… even if that being was himself.

No, he would not burn the letter.

He would read it.

His eye falls once more on the discarded envelop, face-up on the center of the cool mahogany surface of his desk. The words that had first drawn his attention drawing him towards it again. They laugh at him, taunting, unnerving… friendly.

' _To: Guy with the cool eyes and the big sword_

 _From: Luffy. Future King of the Pirates.'_

Not once, in his lifetime, had he ever been referred to as such. It was demeaning. Or so he'd thought before anyone had had the audacity to actually address him as such. To his surprise, the swordsman found only amusement where he had expected scorn or, at the very least, distaste.

There was really nothing keeping him from the letter. Cautiously, unfolding it, he lets his eyes roam, and his mind wander to the first meeting with this stranger, on a floating restaurant at sea…

' _Hey Guy with the cool eyes and the big sword!_

 _Nami told me I needed a hobby and then Usopp was writing a letter to Kaya, and he said I could maybe write to a pen pal too! I didn't know what a pen pal was but apparently people can become friends with writing! THAT IS SO COOL!_

 _Anyway, since Nami, she is my navigator by the way, the best in all the seas, because she's awesome and she will be the navigator of the future Pirate King of course, came back after I kicked Arlong's ass and she said writing Ace would be crazy since he's all the way in the New World and so is Shanks so I had to pick someone else. So I picked you because you looked cool!_

 _Only I didn't like how you almost killed Zoro. And I don't know your name because I forgot. But Zoro's fine now. So it's fine. Maybe he will get really strong because you said those things! I hope so, he has to be the best, my crew will be the best after all, I said so._

 _Anyway, I'm Luffy and I'm going to be the King of the Pirates! Oh, wait, you don't know who Nami or Usopp or Kaya or Arlong or Ace or Shanks is. You remember Zoro, of course, you almost slashed him in two pieces. Then I would have had two swordsman on my crew! Cool!_

 _Oh and Nami, because I said Nami is my navigator! She says I can't put too much "sensitive information" in here because somebody could steal the mail. Who would steal mail, you can't even eat it? Blegh._

 _You know me now, so I guess I'll tell you about what I like. I like meat! I like eating meat! I like my nakama! I like Sanji too because he makes me meat he is my cook. My dream is to become the King of the Pirates! I made a promise so now I am gonna prove I can do it. I am also happy I can write and read because now I can make a friend! Dadan taught me! She raised me and my brothers!_

 _Ok. Now that I talked about me, you need to talk about you. Usopp said so. What do you like? Do you like meat? What is your dream? Or do you have your dream? What does that feel like? Why are your eyes so cool? Why is your sword so big? You are really strong to carry that around all day! Also the fire on your boat was green, that was cool! How did that work?_

 _Bye! Oh, or until you write your letter of course._

 _Luffy, Future King of the Pirates, Captain of the Strawhat Pirates._

 _PS: I'm in Loguetown now! I don't know if the message bird thingy can find me but I guess they can if they found you. I want a messenger bird. Do you think they taste good? It's meat!_ '

Traitorous lips minutely twitch upwards at their corners. Their movement would be denied, if another were to ask after it.

 _The boy is lucky,_ the swordsman considers, placing down the letter and staring into the candlelight. His ennui and lack of tasks he feels like doing have made his existence drab and colorless. If there is nothing of interest to be found then it would not be remiss to consider other avenues... such as seeing where this would take them.

 _There could be no harm in indulging himself this once, could there?_

In all honesty, he could not have foreseen the impact it would have in the long run, when he read the letter, dipped an old-fashioned, rich blue fountain pen into his inkwell, and retrieved a blank piece of paper from his drawer. Putting pen to paper to, as strange as it sounded even to him, _reply_.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Yeah I'll just leave this here. Tell me if I got Mihawk right, even a little. It's harder than I thought it would be. For that matter, was Luffy somewhat /in character/?**

Second Letter - Mihawk

' **To: Strawhat Luffy.**

 **From: H.**

 **My name, if you do not remember it, might be better off left unshared. Some of the members of your crew might take unkindly to the fact that you contacted me. In case it has escaped your notice, my replying means that I am not… opposed to establishing an acquaintanceship. However, I find the term 'pen pal' to be rather juvenile. If we are to be correspondents, do refrain from referring to me as such.**

 **In future attempts to put your thoughts to paper, do not refer to me as '** _ **Guy with the cool eyes and the big sword'**_ **in any way, shape, or form.**

 **I have trouble believing you were the one to take down Arlong. However I shall take your word for it, as the government is unusually tight-lipped over the situation and your sharp incline in bounty has not gone unnoticed. I suppose congratulations are in order for such an achievement. Not many rookies best such a foe in what I surmise are your first few months of walking down the path of piracy.**

 **Your navigator was not incorrect in admonishing you for sharing sensitive information via this avenue of communicating. Messenger birds are known to be intercepted for routine Marine checks as a manner of hunting down pirates more effectively, if official channels are to be believed. I find the practice distasteful, myself. It is a disruption of privacy, and I consider myself a private man. I do not recommend eating the messenger birds.**

 **If I had intended for the green-haired swordsman to die, he would be dead. Make no mistake, I am not a lenient man. He holds promise, a rare commodity in this stagnant age. It was my curiosity that spared him. I shall see how far he will manage to come.**

 **Yes, I eat meat. It is an excellent source of protein. You appear to be as enthusiastic about eating meat as one of my former rivals is about ingesting sake, something the likes of which I have never seen before. And I have seen many things. Perhaps your roads may cross someday.**

 **As for your list of inquiries, there are few activities that can truly elicit joy from me. I suppose one could say I enjoy to indulge in drinking wine. My ambition has since been fulfilled, and my current dream is one some would ridicule, and as such I see no need to divulge it to you, an unknown. As for my eyes, ask one of your crew members about 'genetics'. I am not your teacher and have no desire to act as such.**

 **As you have no way of knowing the subtleties of swordsmanship, I shall let your unintended insult towards my blade slide. Roronoa is thusly unaware of said subtleties that he would not recognize them if they came crashing into him, and so I am fairly certain in deducing that he has not thought to teach you. Yoru is my partner in life, and not merely a sword, referring to her as such is demeaning and an insult to her, as well as to my ability.**

 **Fire around me tends to take on a green glow, indeed. I believe it is because my Haki, as a pure form of energy, has taken to interfering with the flames, which as in themselves a pure form of energy, also. It is one of many mysteries in this world that have yet to be solved.**

 **How did you meet Shanks? Tell me about your adventures so far. How did you acquire your nakama?**

 **You have piqued my interest, Strawhat. All that is desired of you now is that you hold it. I do have a habit of discarding that which bores me.**

 **H.** '

Close to an island where the hills are covered in what appear to be rows upon rows of cacti, a certain Strawhat-wearing teen rips apart a lone, dark red envelop with abandon and a large grin on his face. The large grin, splitting his face in half in a D-shape, would have been alarming to anyone not used to interacting with a person holding the same initial in their name. The orange-haired woman next to him merely sighs, already used to her captain's wiles and quirks.

"What's that?" She asks, arms crossed imperiously and a frown on her face. Of course, she isn't confused by his grin – her captain had just never received mail in the time they'd spent at sea until now. And the color of the envelop itself – dark red, like freshly spilled blood, was unnerving enough for the woman to pry into the rubber man's private business.

"Shishishi! It's from my pen pal! He replied!"

The woman deadpans. "I thought you forgot about that."

"Never! He seemed really nice when we met and Usopp said I should have a pen pal, so I went 'why not' and wrote him! Usopp even helped me with the grammar! Long words are confusing!"

At the admission, not a shred of shame in the teen's voice, it's not just the navigator that rolls her eyes or facepalms in disbelief.

Zoro merely grunts, annoyed at the disbelief of the other crew members. "Let him have his fun. It's just letters. Luffy…Who'd you write, anyway?"

The only answer he gets is a secretive grin, no less large than the one the teen initially sported. "Shishishi!" Then the captain jumps off his perch at the figurehead, one arm stretching unnaturally far towards the door that leads to the galley, the other hand clutching the letter securely, the heavy paper creasing in the tightness of the grip as the teen launches himself towards his new destination.

Tearing through the creaking wooden cabinets for pen and paper, the teen eagerly sits down at the table, almost overreaching and falling off his chair in his enthusiasm.

He'd ask Usopp to check before he sent out his new letter, of course. Even though Usopp wasn't allowed to see the letter since he wouldn't show his letters either, the meanie. The Cool Guy with the Cool eyes had replied, which was way more interesting and Luffy definitely wasn't going to wait for the messenger bird to take off again! It had taken a long enough time to catch one that flew over the Going Merry in the first place.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Okay, so I find writing form Mihawk's POV far more entertaining. It's been a while since I've seen the first few arcs, so I might miss something important if I try to write too much of Luffy's reactions and context. No matter, we have Mihawk's POV this time:**

Third Letter - Luffy

' _To: Mystery Swordsman_

 _From: Luffy_

 _Is calling you swordsman okay? You are a swordsman, so it fits! You don't want to tell me your name, but that's alright, it just makes it more fun to find out again! You have a mystery name! I won't eat the messenger bird. Promise. But I don't get it. It's MEAT!_

 _Of course you are my pen pal. That's what Usopp and Sanji and Nami said you were and I have not done this before. They're my nakama so they wouldn't lie. Duh. What's a 'juvenile'? Can you eat it?_

 _And I took down Arlong. He made my navigator cry. You can't just make my navigator cry, obviously. So I had to kick his ass. I didn't even know who he was. I just thought he was just another fish guy like the other ones who had_ _there_ _their asses kicked by Zoro and Sanji. But I have a super cool bounty poster now! Usopp is in the back of the photo! And thanks for being happy for me! Nami was angry at first because now we will draw attention... But that's half the fun, neh?_

 _Also thanks for not killing Zoro, I guess. You must be really strong! And he's gonna be the World's Greatest Swordsman one day! Even though he can't beat you yet. But you know all that already. Yoru is very cool too! Tell her that for me, will you?_

 _Shanks is the one I made a promise to. Because of him I wanted to be a pirate! He saved my life from a Sea King and gave me his hat. Only… He lost an arm. I thought I was strong. But I wasn't. Anyway, I am going to be the King of the Pirates, and then I will return the hat to him!_

 _My nakama are awesome. Of course I'll tell you about them!_

 _Ok, so I met Zoro when he was chained to a pole and about to be executed for helping this little girl from a weird blonde idiot. I got him his swords and then he joined my crew! We also beat up this dumb marine with a hammer hand! Can you imagine a hammer hand? You can't eat meat like that! We took a small boat and then we met Nami. She tricked me into a cage and we helped a dog and also there was a guy called Buggy with a really ugly nose and a Devil Fruit that made him into many different parts! Nami tied him up while I kicked his ass._

 _Then we met Usopp and he said he had a million minions but he didn't, I was so shocked! There was a girl called Kaya and her bastard butler whose name I don't remember who used to be a pirate. He had cat claws._

 _We set up a trap to kick his ass because he wanted to take Kaya's money. It worked and I kicked his ass. I don't get why his crew was so surprised, he was weak. I met Sanji at the Baratie, and I wanted him as my cook so he got kicked out of his restaurant and now he's my cook! I also met you there! Only Nami took off with our ship and then we had to kick Arlongs' ass._

 _Oh yeah, I also got to attend my own execution in Loguetown. It was cool, I suppose. That day was Cool, we met a cool marine called Smoker who also ate a Devil Fruit! Three guesses what he could do when you look at his name!_

 _We just got to the Grand Line! There was an island that had real good food and a party but then at night they tried to kill us all so I kicked their asses with the help of my nakama!_

 _Do you have nakama? Friends? Family? If you tell me about your family I'll tell you about my brothers, shishishi! Do you have a pet? Oh, wait, do you have a pet bird? Like a messenger bird? That would be so cool! You could be best friends! Also Nami says that they're too expensive to use often and it would be really cool if you had your own bird._

 _What is your bounty? It must be, like, ultra-high! What do you do? Sanji is my cook and Nami is my Navigator. What do you usually do when you're on a ship?_

 _No dream is silly, you silly. I told you my dream so you have to tell me yours. That's how this works! We're friends now!_

 _Luffy._

 _Ps. What's Haki?_ '

He sat in the very place he had been when the first letter arrived when the messenger bird had flown through the open window. The thing was lucky the windows had not been shut. On a whim, the swordsman had decided to let in some, how you say, 'fresh air'. Not that the air in Kuragaina was of any notable quality, smelling faintly of blood and earth, the bone-dry gusts of wind entering through the small opening leaving a bad aftertaste in his mouth.

The harsh gales that taunted the ruined lands outside merely caused the candles in the room to flicker, casting a mixture of golden-and-green light on the elaborate wallpaper and whispering curtains, shadows flickering and dancing.

Overall, the scenario was an uncomfortable reminder of one of the people that made for deformed caricatures of 'colleagues'. Crocodile.

He didn't even want to know what the Sand user was up to. The leader of Baroque Works – if his information network was to be believed – had been up to all sorts of unsavory practices in Alabasta Kingdom.

His fellow Shichibukai were mostly filth, though naturally, any committed crimes had been conveniently swept under the rug for the sake of the image the public held of the 'Government program' he himself had become part of.

If only to get the overzealous, weak, lowlife do-gooders off his back.

…If the Strawhat's account was correct, his pirate crew would soon reach that island. Hopefully, they did not cross paths with Crocodile. The boy would die. As would Roronoa.

And that would just take away all his entertainment and make sparing the green-haired novice a moot point.

Pity.

And speaking of the Strawhat pirates and their captain…

He still did not know what possessed him to reply to the boy's initial letter. The moment his eyes started skimming the words, written in the hurried and jagged scrawl of one who does not often put pen to paper, he had a feeling he should.

Acting on his instincts had, so far, never caused him to be led astray, and to be fair, there was not much harm in a single letter. Or so he had thought.

Now, the boy appeared to be under the illusion that their relationship could be classified as… 'friends'. How distasteful. He would have to caution the child against it in his next letter. However, he would be keeping up the correspondence. The way the boy immediately decided to attempt to include Yoru into their correspondence as more than an object, as his partner, was… A pleasant surprise.

Something made that Strawhat-wearing boy, Monkey D. Luffy… Special. Unique. A new wind in a stagnant age, or perhaps he was not, and the swordsman was reading too much into the situation. Maybe the child merely had the potential to grow out to be such, and was not yet capable of handling what Paradise might throw at him.

Perhaps, in order to preserve his entertainment and his investment in Roronoa, he could tell the upstart pirate to exercise caution..?


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Tell me what you think!**

Fourth Letter – Mihawk.

' **To: Strawhat Luffy.**

 **From: H.**

 **Addressing me as 'Swordsman' is acceptable. Addressing me as your 'friend' is not. One letter is hardly enough to classify any person as 'friend'. And while I am on the subject of your language usage: you cannot eat a 'juvenile'. The word means 'childish', a descriptor that appears most accurate when given to you.**

 **I had suspected your identity, and my suspicions were confirmed when you wrote about Red Hair: you are the anchor whom Shanks claimed was worth giving up his arm for.**

 **You certainly possess the audacity that the insolent man seems to appreciate. He may have found a kindred spirit, though he has never gone into detail on you when we spoke.**

 **I am curious where your path will lead, and if it will cross his again. I am certain I will hear all about it once such occasion occurs – Red Hair seemed ecstatic to be informed of your first bounty poster.**

 **Dare I even inquire as to how one could attend their own execution, yet walk away from it unscathed? I had heard rumors, the likes of which travel faster than fire in a dry savannah, of a lightning strike in the plaza, of the presence of a certain person wanted by the World Government. Were I to even mention his name, surely this letter would be confiscated, so I shall hereby refrain from continuing with the subject.**

 **I am… pleased that you have made it into the Grand Line. Paradise shall surely test you thoroughly. Know that I will track your progress, as well as that of your swordsman.**

 **Your clear loyalty to your nakama is commendable. Not many pirates hold their crew in such obviously high regard. I will admit that I find your attitude in that area… refreshing. On my part, perhaps, that is merely an old man reminiscing his past mistakes, made in a bygone era.**

 **I no longer have nakama in the traditional sense. It is a long and, surely to one such as you, dull story. We merely decided to part ways shortly before I joined a project of the World Government, as a way of keeping my crew away from their clutches. My bounty was also frozen at that point, so I actually do not know how much my head is worth, should I turn my back on the marines and roam the seas freely once more. It is irrelevant.**

 **You have proven yourself interesting so far, Straw-hat Luffy.**

 **As for other relations, I have no remaining living family members. I do not have 'friends', either. Even though… A certain persistent redhead, my old rival, has certainly been trying to worm his way into my good graces. I am not opposed to the free drinks and food he curries favor with. I have no pets, but perhaps, a hawk might be considered. If they are not eaten or killed by the other occupants that reside on my island, that is.**

 **On my old ship, while I was sailing with my crew, I was the swordsman. On occasion, I provided aid in the kitchen, though I would never dare call myself a chef. The aforementioned ship remains in the capable hands of my former first mate. The** _ **Rosetta**_ **was as fast as she was graceful, and I could not have asked for a better vessel, back in the day.**

 **My dream is to find an equal that can do more than challenge me in mere combat. Something which I expect you do not understand. You are fairly young.**

 **Even so, it appears you have succeeded in giving me a sense of nostalgia I do not often encounter. But the past is not something I find worth dwelling on.**

 **I suppose I might give you, if not an explanation worthy of the phenomena, a basal explanation of what 'Haki' is:**

 **Haki is a form of energy all living things possess. Most fail to ever awaken it at all.**

 **However, with sufficient training, one can learn to utilize, even weaponize, two out of the three types of Haki, Kenbunshoku and Busoshoku. The third is granted to a small percentage of the population, and is called Haoshoku. In simpler terms, these abilities are to sense spiritual energy of other beings, use your life force as weapon, and overpower your enemies, respectively.**

 **Though I feel I should not aid you with this at all, Haki is commonly used by higher level foes you will undoubtedly encounter, and even being aware of it might give you the upper hand.**

 **It would be a pity if you were to die before I have seen what you are capable of.**

 **As for Roronoa's challenge, we shall see. It is too soon to make assumptions, let alone that he may prove to be a worthy opponent one day.**

 **H.'**

The messenger bird sat atop the crow's nest, quietly and patiently observing his target. It had not received a letter yet, but the Intended Recipient for his previous cargo had asked it to wait, dangling coins in front of it. And so, it stayed put, being cautiously observed by a newcomer on the Going Merry.

"You are aware that messenger birds are often intercepted?" She asks carefully, fully aware of her shaky standing with this particular crew, who had not given in to her charms as fast as she'd anticipated.

"Yep." Luffy called happily, smoothing out the heavy paper as he carefully read the neat scripts, not taking much note of the way letters such as the 'p' and 'v' had been carved almost as if the writer had been attempting to cut the paper, all sharp edges and narrow lines. "He told me last time. I asked him if he had a pet bird or something like a messenger since Nami said the birds were expensive but it's just letters so why would the marines want to read them, anyway? We're not sharing secrets! Moo… He says he's not even my friend yet."

A short time is spend in relative silence as the captain reads the remainder of the message. Then: "Hey, Robin, you're smart right? How do you train Haki?"

Shock rippled through the normally unflappable woman at the word. For the Strawhat to be asking, it must be mentioned in the letter… "What?"

"My penpal tells me that a lot of strong people use it and if I'm gonna be Pirate King I gotta be strong! So I got to learn Haki!"

"Your… Pen-pal… What is their name, if I may ask?"

To her surprise, the boy merely shrugs. "Dunno. It's a mystery name! He's really cool though!" All that meets her blank face is a familiar, D-shaped grin.

He doesn't know his Pen-pal…Huh? That bears looking into. For the captain's safety, of course… Robin gives the teen a Mona Lisa smile. "Of course."

She would have to see what was written, and draw conclusions from there.


	5. Chapter 5

**I need a better hobby than writing this. Do you guys have any expectations or ideas on how their relationship will develop? I was thinking of a more parental role for Mihawk, because I have read too many fics in which he adopted Zoro or/and Perona. But I'm open for anything else!**

Fifth Letter - Luffy

It was not often that the Shichibukai were summoned to an emergency meeting. More often than not, these were for the sole purpose of receiving a reminder that their titles meant they were at the mercy of the World Government.

Unfortunately, he arrived early. And was thusly left to wait in the room adjacent to the conference hall, where he and his…'colleagues' were summarily abandoned to their own devices until one of the admirals made themselves known. Said devices were rarely anything positive, and it had not been too long since the cleaning crew – pathetic, spineless insects that they were – had to come by to wash bloodstains out of the expensive tapestries.

Leaving rival pirates alone in the same space rarely ended well, after all, for all parties involved.

As he sat and waited, the Greatest Swordsman in the world pondered the latest message he had received from his, dare he even think of the words, 'pen-pal'. Judging from the boy's childish scribbling, the letter having arrived only two weeks after the swordsman sent his latest reply, it would not be an illogical conclusion to say that this particular meeting would revolve around the newly incarcerated state of "Sir" Crocodile, whose Shichibukai status was allegedly removed immediately following the Alabasta Incident – where most common folk not living on the aforementioned island did not even deign to ask what the incident entailed.

Of course, he was not a common man in any sense of the word. Even though admittedly, he would have still been left in the dark as to what happened in the desert kingdom. If not for the boy.

The room, with its lavish interior, bright blues and golds and stark white pillars to show off the might of the marine forces, was bugged to high heaven. The marines would have been foolish not to push listening and recording devices in place, but it left very little to do as his every move was being carefully scrutinized. He could not even retrieve the letter from his coat pocket, the item having arrived whilst he was sailing towards Mariejois, to review it once more.

Not that he truly needed to. It had been the only reading material available during the several week journey to the world's center of power, and so he had incidentally learned most of its contents by head. He had grown bored fairly quickly, sailing alone, and the boy's matter-of-fact commentary on his latest adventures were… unique. Invigorating, almost.

Why, he had even chuckled.

At least he now knew that replying to that initial letter had not been a mistake after all. The boy was far too entertaining to ignore. Though the boy had the audacity to make a request that would turn the situation from mere entertainment into an… investment. He would look into it once he got out of this dreadful place.

' _To: Swordsman_

 _From: Luffy_

 _You are my friend. Obviously because when you said that one letter was not enough to call someone a friend, you had already sent me TWO letters! So we're friends now! And thanks for explaining Haki! We've been all trying to figure out how to activate it but it's not working yet._

 _You know Shanks?! How? That's so cool! He told you about me? What did he say? You got to tell me now!_

 _Hey, do you know Croco-dude? Crocodile? He is a Shichibukai, just like you! Though I guess he's not anymore because I kicked his ass. And I almost died. He was really strong!'_

The man couldn't quite remember what had followed – only that the words 'kicking' and 'ass' had been grossly overused, both on the parts of Luffy defeating Crocodile and Crocodile failing miserably at murdering the boy – though not for a lack of trying on the sandman's part.

It had come as a surprise to hear that the upstart pirate had not only faced down Crocodile, but had also defeated the supposedly much more powerful and experienced man. Not only that, the boy befriended Nefertari Vivi in the process – a feat, considering pirates and nobles did not have the most peaceful history.

There were, however, some phrases that… bothered him. Nico Robin is known for having sub-plots within backup plans within plots within bigger plans – and nobody knew what those entailed. She was an enigma, and she was dangerous. If the marines were to be believed, that it.

He did not feel much for the woman or her plight, but if she compromised his position, he would have to go out of his way to prevent… several unpleasant consequences. Which was redundant and a waste of time, so he wished to avoid it altogether.

As long as the woman did not bother him personally, he would merely observe. As he was doing with Roronoa Zoro's slow progress.

' _Robin is my new nakama. She wanted to not live and I didn't let her so now she is my responsibility. Or so she said, so now she's with us! She's very smart, she ditched Croco-dude too! Oh and she told me to keep my talks with you a secret because people might think it's weird. And they might try to fire you from your Warlord-thing just for hanging out with the future king of the pirates! So don't worry, it'll be our secret!_

 _My nakama are my nakama. I would be a dumb pirate if I did not like my nakama. I don't want to be a dumb pirate, so I only bring the people who are cool! Duh. Your nakama must have been cool too! But you're a bit of a jerk for leaving them. Nakama stick together! They're family! Shanks taught me that and Shanks is never wrong! He gives you free food! So he's always right. And you don't live alone on your island? YOU HAVE AN ISLAND? That is so cool! Who lives there? Is it just you?_

… _If it is, that sounds a little lonely. You can come by and I will have Sanji make you food! He makes the best meat!_

 _Why is your bounty frozen? Did it used to be hot? Did somebody set your poster on fire? How can a piece of paper freeze, anyway? Oh, and you're not old at all! You're like, the age that Shanks is. Shanks is not old, he acts like me sometimes and I'm seventeen!_

 _What's Paradise? They said it's the first part of the Grand Line but why Paradise? Why not call it 'First Part of the Grand Line'? It makes no sense!_

 _And you'd better keep track of me! And of Zoro! Because I'm going to be the Pirate King! And it would be so cool if you were there to watch! But I guess I first have to get to Raftel. Nami will take me there because she's such an awesome navigator! I know! I'll tell you when I get close, and then you have to come see!_

 _Luffy_

 _PS. Your dream is cool because it's your dream! You should chase it! Though I guess it's hard if you don't know who you're looking for. At least Zoro knows he's chasing you!_

 _PPS. Please buy a bird. Nami says we can't afford one and Robin keeps smiling weirdly because marines read my letters and that's mean.'_

…He had never been asked if he was lonely before, not even Shanks had dared to do so.

It was a development he could have gone without.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Here I am again! Wrote this on a whim, but nonetheless I hope you enjoy!**

Sixth Letter – Mihawk

" **To: Strawhat Luffy**

 **From: H.**

 **I would much prefer if you did not share our private correspondence with others. Letters are not meant for those other than the recipient – something the marines fail to grasp. I hope you are not like a marine.**

 **I see there is no dissuading you of the notion that we are friends. I do not accept it, however I will cease wasting writing space with asinine complaints on the matter when these are ineffective.**

 **Shanks is much like you in that regard. He never took 'no' for an answer and pestered me for months before I agreed to a drink after one of our numerous spars. He was my rival. His own stupidity, however, has caused that aspect of our acquaintanceship to deteriorate into nothing. He makes a habit of calling you 'anchor' and has repeatedly described your childish acts, to my chagrin. He is also not infallible – invincible, that is. All creatures make mistakes, after all.**

 **It appears that permanently scarring yourself in the face was cause for him to remember you well… As well as sacrifice himself for you.**

 **I would say I did not understand, but that would be a lie. After all, did I not permanently scar Roronoa at the end of our battle? It is a scar I recall well. I have not forgotten that act, either. It was courageous, yes, but foolish nonetheless. And it is our duty to ensure that the power of the next generation will exceed our own, someday.**

 **Crocodile has been imprisoned in Impel Down and is no longer part of the Shichibukai. Good riddance. I am still mystified as to how a rookie survived battle with him. It is… good?... that Nico Robin has decided to abandon Crocodile's cause. I do not however see how that would make her your responsibility. I suppose it is of no consequence.**

 **I live alone. Cleaning is a nightmare. Perhaps I might acquire servants in the future, but for now the few rooms I frequent I can manage on my own. I do not mind the solitude. Few understand the need for peace and quiet as I prefer it. Your… offer is appreciated, but I highly doubt that Kuragaina lies anywhere near the route along the Grand Line your crew and yourself have set upon. I have no need for charity.**

 **A frozen bounty generally refers to the fact that it will not become higher or lower in value. Even if I were to bother with committing acts that would add belli onto my bounty, such as eradicating a small fleet filled with weaklings, the marines would not change it. Said fleet would not have survived Paradise regardless – and it is named as such for being the weaker half of the Grand Line. If I desire a challenge, I sail out to the New World. Perhaps you will understand one day.**

 **Know that if you cannot use Haki, you are too weak for it.**

 **Only time will tell where you and your crew will end up. Did you experience any interesting… adventures?**

 **H.**

 **PS. The messenger bird is a member of the** _ **Fregata**_ **or Frigate bird family. This one has been bred for long distance flight, and so should reach you without issue. He will, however, need to spend the night on your ship before departing thusly. Apparently, he has a fondness for squid and flying fish. I would be much obliged if your chef were to provide him with sustenance whilst he is with you. Your navigator shall cease complaining with this decrease of costs, I hope.**

 **PPS: His name is Cetan."**

Luffy absently patted the pretty black bird sitting on his knee as he thought about the letter with no little headache. But, Hawky had said that if he shared the letter, he'd be like a marine. He was NOT a marine! And he'd prove it too! His gramps was not gonna win just like _that_! He was a _pirate_!

He scratched his hair underneath his straw-hat with a pout.

Figuring out the letter was a little harder without the help of his nakama, but he could do it!

…Maybe Robin would know…

Ah. But Sanji had to feed the bird. Kee-tan. She-tan. Seh-tan. Cetan. Hawky's frigate.

A grin grew on his face. Luffy knew exactly what to do. Jumping up from the figurehead and balancing precariously even as the messenger bird took flight in shock with an indignant squawk only to settle on top of his head, he launched himself towards the kitchen.

"SAAAANJIIIIIIIIII..!"

The blonde chef, balancing above a frying pan with the grace of a dancer, nearly face plants into aforementioned hot utensil when the door slams open and he's suddenly on the receiving end of a flood of words from his overly enthusiastic, scatter-brained captain.

"What does 'asinine' mean? And what is Impel Down, can you eat there? Oh and I have a bird that needs food because Nami told me to tell my new pen friend to buy a bird because hiring birds is expensive and Robin said that the marines check them but then Hawky also said that and he told me that if I told anyone else what was in the letter I was like a marine and I'm not a marine! I'm gonna be the King of the Pirates! Anyway the bird needs food and it likes fish. Also do you know if Zoro's scar will be permanent? It should be. It's a remembrance scar! Oh and – Hey! Is that squid? Key-Lan likes squid! You write his name as C-E-L-A-N though. I don't know how to say that. But that's okay! Key-Lan will understand! Right Key-Lan?"

Key-Lan squawks smugly and takes off to the crow's nest with a neatly cut and half-fried tentacle clutched in his claws.

Sanji represses a whimper before cursing under his breath, turning off the heat and lighting a cigarette. He feels that he will need it sorely. Glancing at the heavens for patience, he lets out a long-suffering sigh.

"…Could you repeat that? _Slowly_?"

Outside the door, Nice Robin opens her eyes and smiles as the two talk.

How delightfully unexpected.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: It's aliveeee! But yeah, I gave myself the freedom to update whenever I felt like it, and so that's what I'll keep doing! You can't expect regular mail on the Grand Line, either! Not much of a correspondence in this one… But tell me what you think!**

Letter 7 – Luffy's Note

He had had no word on the boy's activity for several weeks now. No letter. No news via either the official marine channels or the underground, less accepted but just as thoroughly fact-checked information broker network. No information that sufficed. With one exception that hardly served to satisfy.

The conclusion any other man might have drawn was that Strawhat and his crew had died. That their luck had run out and they met a foe too powerful for them, or that the ocean took their ship and lives for herself.

The Greatest Swordsman in the World, however, is not just any man. When his bird returned, content but exhausted, it had clung onto not a rambling letter like all the other messages so far, but to a measly note:

" _To: Swordsman_

 _From: Luffy._

 _Hi! We're going up in the sky for a bit to discover a mythical island that not everyone thinks even exists so Robin said to send your bird back to you just in case! I'll be sure to ask Nami if we're getting near Kuragaina soon!_

 _Write you soon!_

 _Luffy._ "

A fool would have clung to the pathetic piece of paper, torn from a lined notebook of some kind and not even graced with the meagre protection of an envelope of any sort. It was only tied with a piece of fraying thread, the ripped edge of the paper crinkled by sea water and the winds.

Indeed, a lesser person may have grasped it as if his fingers were the claws of Cetan, digging in with feeble emotions such as 'hope' and 'anxiousness'. The swordsman knew neither of those. He did not worry over his supposed 'friend' at all.

Besides. Kuragaina was not even on their crew's route across the Grand Line. He needn't worry, either, about any Strawhats turning up at his doorstep as if by a Devil Fruit.

If the boy got himself and his crew killed, he would only kill his entertainment alongside them. At this point, the boy was of interest due to Shanks' glowing praise whenever his old rival came to drag him off to some excuse to drink his red head into a stupor called a 'party'… And because the rookie managed to take down a far more experienced pirate and Shichibukai.

Crocodile had been shrewd, but weaker in strength than other members of the Seven Warlords of the sea. But that he had lost at all, to an East Blue little boy, had come as a shock before it had been hastily covered up and swept under the rug by the World Government.

Then there was Roronoa. An uncut gem, dull, dusty, covered in the remnants of the earth and stone he had floundered from yet. A potential thread to the title of World's Greatest Swordsman… if he lived to come that far.

Thin lips twitch upwards in a smirk as the hawk-eyed man takes another solemn sip of his wine, swirling the dark liquid around his glass as he stands at the window, watching and listening to the pitter-patter of the raindrops onto the fogged glass. The candles are still, not dancing as they would with even the slightest breath of wind, and the castle is silent but for the distant howls of Humandrills.

Cetan sits on his perch on the windowsill.

No. His instinct told him that Strawhat was not dead. There was no need to waste energy better spend on honing his skill with hoping that the boy was not, or waste meditation with pessimism concerning the young pirate's fate.

And if his sense of judgement had not lapsed between that first letter and the small note now quietly resting on his desk, the boy would not let any of his crew members die on him, either.

Which begged the question as to what in the world the kid was up to. The swordsman admitted to curiosity about _that,_ as far as his emotions towards Strawhat went at least.

But he would not write the rookie a letter just yet. He would allow him to reach out first. Initiating contact had never been the Greatest Swordsman's selling point, unless it pertained to challenging opponents. And the number of those had dwindled deplorably over the course of time.

Nor had, to his subtle abashment, his strongest point ever been his patience. The boy appeared to be an exception to this rule for he was entertaining in his carefree youth. Mihawk, though, normally had no time for the slow, the dim-witted, the weak… Nor did he hold interest in their pitiable lives, their little problems and pains and worries.

Nor was he patient when it came to participating in combat, another matter entirely.

…And he would be sure give his condolences to whomever thought to place him in the role of their teacher. Few could keep up with the World's Greatest. If they could not, they were not worthy of wasting time and were better off fearing him rather than having misplaced opinions of his person.

Which was why he had hunted down the entire fleet of idiots back to the East Blue after they dared shoot a cannonball right next to his vessel whilst he was taking a comfortable rest. Let them fear and not return to where the weak do not belong.

As for more recent developments… The new movements of the Gorosei may as well have been flashing warning signs. Shanks had send a man to Whitebeard, and for that, the two would face trouble. The marines had already been contacted, and they, in turn, had somehow seen fit to summon the Shichibukai.

The official summons, in the shape of a large, white-and-blue striped envelope with a golden seal, passed onto him by a large and regal messenger bird bred solely for high-speed marine delivery, laid unopened at the bottom of the pile of paperwork full of information he still had to sort through.

He already knew he was to attend in one week. It was long enough to reach Mariejois if he chose to leave the following morning.

Yes. And leave he would. He had a strong feeling that Shanks and Strawhat were both on the meeting's agenda. It would not do to be uninformed of what his old rival was up to… and the same went for his current and most recent investment.

The smirk playing along his lips grew momentarily before fading altogether as he once more allowed his mind to wander to the Strawhat and his crew.

He would exercise patience.

It would serve as a training opportunity, rather than a wait that slowly grew more unbearable as the clock ticks along to time's unstoppable, irreversible rhythm. Mariejois would provide him with the information he desired - or he would ensure he got his hands on whatever it was they held back. He would not agree with the brand of 'pirate scum' that Sengoku may as well have stamped onto his forehead whenever they met if he did not go to any necessary lengths to acquire that which he wanted.

For now, he would wait.

He would exercise… patience…

Pale hands place the unfinished wine next to the note.

 _Patience_. The swordsman chides himself when the diamond grip on his self-control wavers.

In the darkened office, the flames of the candles dance.

"…"

It wouldn't hurt to leave a day early. Grand Line weather remains as unpredictable as it has always been, and being late is not an option.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Oh. Oh wow. I am. So terrible at writing Strawhat interaction. Hot damn what a mess. I hope you all still enjoy?**

 **Anyway, since someone asked me about Chopper, I decided to give an overview of letters so far:**

 **1\. Luffy / Mihawk. Written in Loguetown shortly after the 'execution' and fight with Smoker. Send to Kuragaina immediately.**

 **2\. Mihawk / Luffy. Written in Kuragaina at an unknown time. Arrived at the start of the Whiskey Peak Arc.**

 **3\. Luffy / Mihawk. Written after the Whiskey Peak Arc and before the Little Garden Arc. Arrived at Kuragaina before the Alabasta Arc.**

 **4\. Mihawk / Luffy. Written in Kuragaina at an unknown time. Arrived shortly after the Alabasta Arc (roughly two days after Robin 'joined' the crew).**

 **5\. Luffy / Mihawk. Written after the Alabasta Arc. Arrived whilst Mihawk was travelling to Mariejois for a non-canon meeting.**

 **6\. Mihawk / Luffy. Written at an island where one could purchase messenger birds somewhere on the Grand Line. Arrived during the Jaya Arc.**

 **7\. Luffy / Mihawk. Written whilst the Straw Hats were with Noland. Arrived not too long after at Kuragaina.**

 **8\. Luffy / Mihawk. Written before the Water 7 Arc. Arrived..?**

 **Anyway, have this mess:**

Eighth Letter - Luffy

"Are you… seriously writing a letter NOW?" Sanji asks, exasperated at his captain's antics and wondering why he even bothers to try and make sense of anything Luffy does because, well. It's _Luffy_. He'll find some crazy ways to make things work no matter what the chef thinks about it.

Nami glances up at the cook's uncharacteristically sour words, only to do a double-take at seeing what the Strawhat captain is up to.

"Is that a _solid golden paperweight from Skypiea?_ "

Luffy only turns to her with a grin even as Chopper and Usopp 'ooh' and 'ahh' over the object as if they hadn't at least three more of them.

"Shishishi! I want to send Hawky a souvenir along with the letter! It's thanks to him that we figured out those mantra-Haki things and got to use it in kicking Enel's ass!"

"No, beating Enel was just you." Sanji corrects him with a roll of his one visible eye.

"YOU WILL MOST DEFINETELY NOT BE SENDING THAT!" Nami barks out in horror, newspaper in her hands forgotten as she jumps out of her lounge chair, ignoring the creaking of Merry's much-abused wood underneath her heels.

"We only _just_ got away from that thrice-damned Davy Back Fight! Do you have _any_ idea how much our medicinal stores have been depleted because of your stupid stunts? We need to sell that paperweight to restock once we get to the next island! Besides, do you have _any_ idea how much it _costs_ to ship something that heavy? And your letter is at least seven pages long! You're never going to be able to find a bird capable of carrying all of that!"

Chopper turns a little gloomy at the navigator's tirade, hunching his small shoulders and appearing seconds away from bawling. Zoro gives the reindeer a sharp glance, and the blue-nosed doctor restrains himself to a mere sniffle.

"I'm sorry, but we _really_ DO need to buy new bandages… and painkillers… and syringes… and everything else…"

"Che." Sanji huffs sharply, eyeing the letters carefully, "Are you planning to ever tell us who your 'Mystery Pen-pal' is, Luffy?"

"If he wants to say it, he'll say it, ero-cook." Zoro grumbles irritably, one eye opened from where he is lounging against the main mast, having been awoken from his nap by all the noise.

"Wanna fucking go, marimo?"

"Like hell you can keep up with me, dartboard-brow!"

"You want to do this now? Fine, let's _go_."

Chopper and Usopp duck frantically when the chef sails overhead, his black shoe being only just blocked by a trio of katana as the two start their thrice-daily battle.

"But seriously," Usopp begins after a brief pause, "You had me spell-check one letter, and I almost thought you were writing to… Well." He laughs awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck and looking down, sweat drops starting to bead on his forehead. "Well. That Shichibukai back at the Baratie… Dracule 'Hawkeyes' Mihawk."

He has to speak louder to have his voice heard over the clashing of metal against finely polished shoes. With a should-have-been expected reaction.

Zoro startles upon hearing the name, head whipping around to stare at Luffy and paying the price for instantly when a leather sole hits the side of his face, sending him flying backwards into the ships' railing, which creaks heavily at the force of the impact.

"Oy, you're joking. Luffy wouldn't write… That man. He's an enemy." The swordsman grunts, not moving as Sanji reluctantly puts his leg down.

Their captain pouts rather spectacularly, clutching the letter and the paperweight closer to him. "Dracule Mihawk? Is that his name? … _Meh_. I still think 'Hawky' sounds way better. He's like Shanks. He gave Zoro a scar like Shanks gave me his hat."

A million-Watt smile is send the befuddled swordsman's way. "He wants you to give it back someday, too. He thought you were a pretty interesting guy! He's my friend! And he also taught us about stuff like Haki and the Grand Line!"

So preoccupied is he with defending his pen friend against his first mate – because really, he's not a bad guy, he wouldn't have answered the letters if he was an enemy, right? – that he only realizes his navigator is standing behind him at the very last moment, her fist raised in anger.

Luffy senses it coming, with his new _awesome cool_ Haki. But somehow he doesn't quite manage to dodge the series of blows aimed at his head in time.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING?! A SHICHIBUKAI?! YOU MIGHT AS WELL HAVE BEEN SENDING THE _WORLD GOVERNMENT_ FUCKING POSTCARDS, YOU IDIOT!" The orange-haired woman screeches, putting in an extra hit for good measure and not wanting to believe what her moronic captain had done _this_ time.

Nami is terrifying when she's angry. But _Zoro_ is on another level entirely when it comes to sheer _intensity_ whenever his sworn rival – and the holder of the title he has set his sights on - is concerned.

All the other eyes on deck have turned to the swordsman, who is still half-sitting in his previous position against the railing, eyes cast in deep shadows and lips twitching violently.

Contrary to the expected explosion, however, the mosshead only looks up at Luffy with a smug grin that could rival the one Nami only wore upon finding a chest full of shiny golden coins.

"He thinks I'm interesting, huh..?"

"Yep!" Luffy cries cheerfully once he's regained the ability to sit up after enduring Nami's agitation. One hand holds on to his infamous hat securely as he picks his nose with his other hand, grin still on his face.

"He said you were an idiot, but a courageous one that could maybe beat him in the future."

Sanji snorts, lighting a cigarette with hands that tremble only minutely. Quite rapidly, the exchanging of letters between his captain and the World's Greatest Swordsman, _who also happens to be a Warlord of the Seas allied with the World Government and Zoro's sworn rival,_ is becoming just another one of Luffy's 'quirks'.

The relatively calm silence that follows is broken when Usopp keels over in a dead faint and Chopper starts screaming for a doctor.

Zoro snorts. "Say, Luffy… Why don't you ask Hawkeyes to meet up with us at the next island..?"

"You really are a masochist aren't you?" Sanji laughs, perhaps a bit too loudly, "Knowing you, you're going to ask him to spar and get your ass handed to you spectacularly." The cook takes a long drag from his cigarette before carelessly flicking it into the ocean.

"You haven't even managed to activate your Busoshoku Haki yet. But gods, I'd pay to see that show. Who knows, maybe you'll be able to hold out for more than thirty seconds this time." The blonde lights a second cigarette without pause, craving the nicotine to help him calm down after processing the latest exposed secret of his unassuming captain.

Robin watches them from a distance, standing on the upper deck and smiling not unkindly. For now, she would merely observe.

Luffy raises a fist into the air before bringing it down onto his flat palm with a resounding smack.

"Guys, I have an idea."

A dramatic pause as everyone turns their attention to him.

"Let's invite him for dinner. I promised him he could come over and Sanji would make him meat sometime."

"The next island is Water 7." Nami gives in at last, ruefully shaking her head and rubbing her temples in an attempt to stave off the migraines that often come with trying to understand the logic behind the Strawhat-wearing teenager's 'ideas'.

"I h-highly doubt someone as powerful as D-D-D-Dracule M-M-M-M-Mihawk will agree to meet us there – surely he has better things to do than visit some rookie pirates..?" Usopp stutters hesitantly, having only just come to.

Nami meets his eyes and smiles in conspiratory agreement. "You're completely right. For once. There's no way the World's Greatest Swordsman has time for us."

"Damnit, Sea-witch. Just go with it. It's _Luffy._ He has a weird effect on people. Might as well try. Nothing ventured, nothing gained and all that rot."

Sanji gasps, clutching at his chest. "Oh my! Was that a difficult word I just heard coming from your mouth, marimo? And used correctly, at that! The world must be ending, this moron is showing a shred of intellect..!"

Zoro growls and doesn't bother to reply before slicing at the blonde's chest.

Nami stares after them with a deadened stare as they start to fight again. Usopp sighs and shakes his head. Chopper giggles. Luffy merely blinks.

"Ok. Then I'll send him another note!"

"Does it _look_ like we have a messenger bird on board?" Usopp grumbles darkly, but his souring mood goes mostly unnoticed as the Strawhat merely turns his head up to stare at the blue skies as if expecting a bird to swoop down that instant, defying all laws of probability.

The skies remain clear.

"I'll write the note and catch the next bird that flies over." He decides out loud, resulting in groans of reluctant acceptance from the more reserved members of the crew. Zoro merely gives a wordless thumbs-up and Sanji shrugs and decides to go with it.

It's _Luffy,_ after all. He's defied logic before.

" _From: Luffy_

 _To: Swordsman_

 _Hi! It's been a while since I wrote that note, and you're not writing back so I guess I'll send you another note! My nakama and I will soon get to Water 7. I hope we can find a SUPER COOL Shipwright there! Do you want to meet there? I wanted to send you a souvenir at first but Nami said it was too heavy and my letter was too long so I have to tell you in person about the coolest adventure on clouds ever! Also to give you a souvenir. Not the one I wanted to give you at first since Nami said we needed it for doctor supplies but we have more cool stuff._

 _Zoro also wants you to come! Sanji says he'll just get his ass kicked but maybe it will help you keep 'track of his progress' as you said? (Sanji helped me write this too cause I sound immature. What's imma-)"_

Here, the paper has a small tear and a blotch of ink, having been ripped from one person's hands to avoid embarrassment for the aforementioned blonde.

" _Mr. Dracule Mihawk,_

 _My captain is being an absolute idiot but, if you are his 'friend' as he says, I'm sure you already understand. The marimo wants his ass handed to him on a silver platter and who are we to deny him? The Strawhat pirates would be much obliged if you were to take some time out of your surely busy schedule to visit. Apparently I also owe you a good meal._

 _We will be at Water 7 for two weeks if everything goes according to plan. It never does, so assume we'll be there until approximately the 28_ _th_ _of this month._

 _With kind regards,_

 _Sanji. Cook of the Strawhat Pirates._

 _Right so Sanji stole my paper and my pen. But he writes neatly and fancily so I guess its ok._

 _I hope to see you there!_

 _Luffy, future KING OF THE PIRATES and captain of the Strawhat Pirates._

 _Ps: does it sound cooler when I add that last part to my name?"_


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: GASP! Two updates in one day? I am on a fucking roll here!**

 **Anyway, This time we get to see a different side to Mihawk! At least, the side that I chose to give him because there's no way he's just an emotionless asshole if he can laugh about Zoro AND tolerate Perona for more than two years, right?**

 **NOTE: I'm adding OC's to this story since Mihawk's past is a mystery. I hope you all** **don't mind too much!**

Letter 9 – Mihawk

Sharp yellow eyes shift upwards at the sound of bird wings on the winds. They gleam in the annoyingly bright sunlight when the swordsman holds out his arm for the bird to perch on.

It is humid, it is hot, and he does not regret many things but journeying past a tropical island in the midst of it summer season is a mistake he will endeavor not to repeat again. His jacket clings to his back with sweat, his boots cling uncomfortably to his legs, and Yoru feels extraordinarily heavy.

Despite the discomfort, the man shows no outward signs of irritation beyond a sporadically twitching eyebrow that allows a lone bead of sweat to trickle down his temple from where it had steadily moved away from the wide brim of his hat, the sun attacking the dark fabrics he cloaks himself in without mercy.

Upon relieving the messenger gull from its burden, the creature sits on the edge of his boat and starts spraying itself with sea water by rapidly moving its wings across the surface. Had he any less composure, the swordsman would have long since copied the creature after divesting himself of his bothersome jacket and hat.

It would only lead a man with skin as pale as his to burn red under the light, and he had no serums on hand. His gaze narrows at the bird as some of the droplets splatter onto his lower leg before he turns his attention to the letter now safely held in his hands.

At least the boy went through the trouble of acquiring a proper envelope and postcard compared to his prior note. With perhaps more enthusiasm than a few simple sentences on cheap paper warranted, the swordsman breaks the seal and quickly gives the letter a once-over. It appears his identity had been discovered and subsequently revealed to the Strawhat's nakama. One of them had even written to him – audacious, but he would… allow it. Judging by the stains and the cut-off question Luffy had been about to ask, it might even have been for the better that the second Strawhat pirate intervened.

Water 7 was indeed the island renowned for its capable shipwrights. The _Rosetta_ had also been built there… and one of his own former nakama co-owned a bar there, if he remembered correctly. It had been a long time since he had seen the lanky musician and their pasta-loving husband.

Something in the deepest, darkest recesses of his chest ached dully at the thought, and he suppressed it with the ease that comes solely from decades of practice.

Perhaps he could visit whilst he was on the island.

The Greatest Swordsman in the World glanced cautiously at the messenger bird, which was now staring at him unblinkingly.

…It would not do to show any weaknesses, not even in front of some insignificant avian. It was not beyond the navy's pettiness to employ a hapless worm with the ability to speak with birds just to cover up a singular small hole in their god-awful security and information systems.

The swordsman knew better.

He was in no way paranoid. Past experiences had simply proven that nobody and nothing was to be trusted except the simple-minded and the dead. Nico Robin's Hana Hana no Mi was not the only one of its type, after all.

Roronoa was in no way, shape or form ready to face him in proper, one-on-one combat, regardless of how much he had grown. Though he was curious how far the green-haired younger swordsman had fared and improved over the course of the Strawhat's journey across the Grand Line, it was highly unlikely that he could, at this point in time, handle the New World and what came with it.

As someone who regularly sailed the New World by himself and knew what could be encountered there, it was quite clear that the other was not yet ready. They had not even passed one of the 'Warlord Checkpoints' as they were referred to by his colleagues and the marines in more informal settings.

Amazon Lily where Empress Boa Hancock held the power. Thriller Bark under control of Gecko Moria. Battle Spire Island, acknowledged as being Donquixcote Pirate territory. Sorbet Kingdom which fell back under Kuma's jurisdiction after he took the title of Shichibukai. And then, of course, Kuragaina as of seven years ago.

All islands, or ships easily the size of islands, that would eventually intercept the magnetic signals of roughly seventy percent of Log Poses used to cross the second half of the Grand Line. Most of them placed quite close to the Red Line, too.

A coincidence, but one that greatly appeased the World Government and gave free reign to the Shichibukai in ruling their respective territory.

Not that, say, Kuma the Tyrant actually cared for such things.

He, himself, could hardly be bothered with the small fry that passed by his island occasionally. A Log Pose would only take four hours to reset, after which the more intelligent crews left immediately. The remaining fools quickly fell to the highly aggressive and effective Humandrills. He would only deign to intercept them if they figured that _trespassing upon his territory_ was a bright idea… And when they managed to reach the castle's doors.

Their expressions of abject terror were amusing, at least before they ended up in shallow graves.

Perhaps his actions made him an unpleasant person, but he really could not care less. Kuragaina had been blissfully empty of intruders for nearly three years now and most trespassers never became his concern either way.

On the other hand… The Strawhats would have to be content with Gecko Moria on their route. If anything, it was a suitable final task they would have to fulfill before proving their mettle getting past the Red Line into the New World – via Fishman Island or other means.

Judging by the boy's track record so far…

Thin lips curl upwards in a reluctantly satisfied grimace.

He would be glad to see the slippery, shadow-stealing bastard gone.

The messenger bird squawks loudly, a screech like nails on chalkboard through the calm silence previously only broken by the gentle lapping of the waves against the bow of his small vessel.

Musings crassly interrupted, the swordsman grumbles and sets to find ink and paper. He may as well send the annoying cretin away with something useful, else he'd be most tempted to end its miserable existence. He had some damage control to do and a reply to formulate.

" **To: Strawhat Luffy and crew**

 **From: H.** "

A pause, before he discarded the paper and took out a second one.

" **To: Strawhat Luffy and crew**

 **From: D. M.**

 **Luffy. Your nakama are hereby allowed to read this letter, also. I believe that whilst giving my explicit permission or not would hardly make a difference in your conduct, it may put the more sensible members of your crew more… at ease.**

 **First and foremost, I feel the need to address the severity of the current situation. Under no circumstance is the World Government to find out about this exchange. It would make a great many things highly difficult for all parties involved. Prove yourselves to possess a shred of intellect and do not share this… relation with outsiders.**

 **No, Luffy. Your name does not sound better merely because you add a series of titles to it. It is not a title, but your name by itself that ought to strike fear and respect into the hearts of your enemies and instill pride in your friends and allies. How else will you make certain that they know who you are?**

 **To the one who calls himself 'Sanji': I indeed understand your captains mannerisms and inane questioning. A high-quality meal is a scarce commodity for one who roams as much as myself, and I would not turn down an opportunity to see what the cook of a captain with no end to his appetite is capable of.**

 **As for the 'marimo', whom I shall assume is Roronoa Zoro: I believe that a spar between us at this point in time would be pointless. His progress may be followed through other means.**

 **Roronoa. If you wish to challenge me again, I bid you to survive Thriller Bark with both shadow and life intact. Your Navigator may as well be informed now that that will be the next island you come across if you abide by the Log Pose.**

 **Speaking of, I will be unable to reach Water 7 from my current location before the date provided. I shall make my way there, but will not arrive until after Aqua Laguna. It is perilous to sail towards the island during this natural phenomena.**

 **In the event that you are still present, or return to Water 7 when I am there: ask after Anansi at the Gull's Beak Inn.**

 **Regards,**

 **Dracule Mihawk."**

He was… Not entirely sure where this investment was taking him, if he had to be completely honest with himself. He had found himself annoyed, amused, irritated, exasperated and nostalgic at the boy's antics – and that had been in written form.

He would have to ensure that he increased the intensity of his training, both physical and mental, so that others would not gain the improper and incorrect notion that he was… going _soft_ for the group of upstart rookies.

He was Dracule 'Hawkeyes' Mihawk. He was anything but. He would have to tread cautiously to keep it that way.

The messenger bird squawked again and the swordsman considered waiting until he was back in Kuragaina and sending Cetan rather than the blemish upon life sitting on his ship as if it had a hand in running it.

…His patience, however, had never been one of his strengths. And so he let the bird rest and fly off with its new load of cargo tied securely to its paw. Briefly, the swordsman pleaded that the Strawhat's uncanny 'D' luck had rubbed off on him enough for the letter to fly past the Gates of Justice without being checked.

On second thought, signing with his name may not have been his safest impulse.

Surely, a 'D's penchant for committing illogical actions could not be transmitted like some form of disease..?


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hi! So I noticed some minor grammar and spelling mistakes OUTSIDE of Luffy's letter (in which I leave them in intentionally) and so I wondered if you guys would be as kind as to tell me if you spot any? It doesn't matter if it's in this chapter or any previous ones! I will try to correct them ASAP for a better reading experience.**

Tenth Letter - Luffy

He really, truly, should not at all have been surprised at his latest investment not only daring to attack one of the Marine's most powerful strongholds outside of Mariejois itself, but daring to burn the World Government's flag whilst he was at it.

The news of the Strawhat Pirates declaring war on the world for the sake of Nice Robin had graced the front page within three days of the happenings at Enies Lobby. As it was, the swordsman had come to Water 7 as he had stated in his last letter.

If the boy came, he would come.

If not, then it wasn't his concern.

Skillfully, the hawkeyed male ignored the unusual coiling like a parasite in his chest.

At the very least, he would meet up with one of his former Nakama, his musician Kingsley "The Twister" Anansi and their husband Packo, who together owned a restaurant that the locals apparently referred to as being… 'Cozy', with its white-picket fence, the inviting blue walls and the beatific nautical theme the place exuded. He could not say he was inclined to use such words or descriptors himself, of course. Nevertheless, the Gull's Beak Inn was his current goal, and to reach his destination he found himself braving the destruction wrought by Agua Laguna not even a week prior.

Repairs were already underway, it seemed. His boat had been placed and summarily forgotten about somewhere close to the 4th dock, or what had been left of it.

The train would return before nightfall if it was not delayed, he had been informed when he first set foot on the island by a merry Galley-La worker that had not even recognized his face until he turned to walk and the pathetic sod's eye fell on Yoru, displayed proudly on his back.

"H-H-H-HOLY SHIT YOU GUYS! IT'S THE SHICHIBUKAI! W-What was his name again?"

"Dracule 'Hawk-Eyes' Mihawk, you absolute fucking mussel-faced moron! The Greatest Swordsman in the World!"

"SHIT! Alert the goddamn boss!"

Cetan caws imperiously from where the bird is perched on Yoru's wide, bejeweled guard, fluttering black wings in the meagre morning sunlight.

Not a single hair in even his eyebrows twitched out of place at the panic left in his wake. It would have been unbecoming of him to show any amusement at their terror, and even more so it would possible cost him his hard-earned reputation as being cold and ruthless.

He found it was harder not to chuckle at their antics than he would have liked.

Anansi was already waiting for him at the front door to the Gull's Beak Inn, hands clasped together as they observed their former captain approach with all the patience of one who hasn't seen the other in several years. Their establishment had seen little to no damage, as they were located in one of the higher districts, safe from the waves.

"Dracule~! I was so delighted to hear from you after all this time~! Have you been eating? Drinking? Water, mind you dear, surely you haven't been gorging yourself on expensive wines again? You are looking fetching as you always have~!"

The wide, green-and-white checkered skirt danced around the Okama's ankles, just short enough to showcase their pointy yellow heels to match the sunflower-pattered blouse they wore. Pink curly hair is drawn back into a messy bun that appears more as if an explosion of colored powder is continuously going off behind their ears pierced with large hoops.

Behind them, a man dressed in a more subdued green suit stands, wearing pink shoes and a similarly colored tie along with it. Black hair is slicked back against his skull and his sleeves are bunched at the elbows, suspicious red stains dotting the fabric. The pair reeks strongly of spicy tomato sauce.

The Greatest Swordsman still wasn't entirely sure how the flamboyant okama had ever even ended up on his crew. The violinist had just shown up one day and made themselves at home on the Rosetta, sticking with the crew until they disbanded.

He nods solemnly at the pair and Anansi's hands flutter anxiously. The musician thought every little thing in life was exciting. It used to grate on the swordsman's nerves, but after getting to know a certain member of the Monkey family in a red vest, the person before him appeared tame.

"Ah! Come in dear, come in, we got a letter for you just before Agua Laguna! It's busy, busy, busy with all the mess down by the docks, but we kept a room free _just_ for you~!"

Yellow eyes sharply take in the main room of the downstairs restaurant, knowing that rooms may be acquired for several guests upstairs. Nearly every table was occupied, and after a short, hushed silence in which it appears the wind had taken the very breath out of the room, stilled conversations start up again, if haltingly.

"You have my… gratitude."

They side-eye him with a knowing huff. "You did not even consider that Agua Laguna would mean that people needed temporary shelter, dear, I know you well enough."

He had not, but that was entirely beside the point.

"Who gave you a letter for me?"

This time, it is the up until then silent and ghostly Packo that speaks up, retrieving the offending item from behind the bar. "You are hardly going to believe it, but it was a talking reindeer with a giant hat and blue nose." He states without any vocal intonation.

Slowly, the swordsman blinks as he takes the delicate blue envelop from his old acquaintance's sauce-stained hands. The man immediately scurries off to prepare more food for his customers and Anansi moves to have him take a seat at the bar, placing a tinkling glass filled with deep red liquid in front of him the moment he sits.

"The first one's on the house, dear~. You can tell me what you've been up to after reading your correspondence, it is so rare to see you communicate outside the crew!"

It was a mistake on their part to still consider their former nakama a singular crew. Many had gone different paths, very few if none remaining pirates, some starting crews of their own, others attempting to begin their own business and settle down with a family. In Anansi's case, successfully.

Golden eyes blink at the violinist, who merely gives a pretty grin before sauntering off to help the next person in line. The wide brim of his hat is lowered so as to prevent others from interpreting his reactions to whichever nonsense Luffy had deemed worthy of putting to paper this time.

" _From: Luffy (and the Strawhat Pirates)_

 _To: D.M._

 _Hi! Sanji and Zoro wanted to write a little something too this time so they get the letter after me but they have to wait because I am captain and so I get dibs. Anansi told us they'd get this letter to you as soon as you got there so I gave it! Are they your musician? They're really cool! They said Nami had great fashion sense! I TOLD everyone that you'd come to Water 7 but they said you would have no time for us so I proved them wrong and so did you which is awesome because usually Nami is always right. We'll definitely be in Water 7 soon, so just wait a bit!_

 _Luffy_

 _PS. You're right about the name. It sounds cooler when it's just Luffy, it is Mysterious! Like you!_

 _Mr. Dracule Mihawk,_

 _If you are to have dinner with our crew sometimes, I will try and make it as enjoyable as possible. It is my duty as chef and my pleasure as nakama to Luffy – who I am pretty sure considers you part of this malfunctioning, ever-rowing family without question. If you have allergies or preferences, please do ensure I hear of them before the meal._

 _I do not doubt it will take place. My captain has set his sights on it and he is unlikely to let it go any time before it takes place. I have also taken the liberty of keeping this letter from the Marimo. He can make his threats and challenges in person, I am sure. I'd rather not he offend you too badly before we all even met officially._

 _Regards,_

 _Sanji_

 _ **I do not suppose you would be willing to extend more information about Thriller Bark? – Nami, Navigator.**_ _"_

It seemed that the other Strawhat members had decided to pitch in this time. A large part of him was vehemently against the notion of sharing his correspondence with the boy. It had been _his._ A smaller and - dare he even entertain the concept? - _softer_ part of him that was entirely Luffy's fault was… pleased. The boy's nakama seemed to accept him without much trouble.

Not that he had a wish to be accepted in the first place.

"Amusing, is it dear?" Anansi asks with a warm smile after he looks up to take a sip of his chilled wine.

He feels his traitorous lips flutter upwards in response, and the musician clasps their hands together in genuine delight once more.

"Oh, you simply _must_ tell me all about -"

The doors to the Gull's Beak Inn slam open with a force ill-fitting for the skinny, unremarkable man now standing behind it, entirely out of breath and gasping too wildly for any of his words to make sense.

Just as the swordsman is about to darken his scowl to wordlessly threaten the insect to shut up before a slash of Yoru makes him shut up and cease disturbing his morning, the idiot manages to choke out a comprehensible phrase:

"THE TRAIN… IS HERE! THE… PIRATES ARE BACK!"

The restaurant explodes into instant pandemonium. Anansi merely grins knowingly as, to his eternal distaste, his entire body seems to perk up at the news. The golden-eyed Shichibukai decides that the information is useful enough to leave the moron alive for now.

He had someone to meet.


End file.
